Apparatus for unloading grain



c. BENTHAM. APPARATUS FOR UNLOADING GRAIN.

. APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 1|, 1920. 1 ,407,5 10., Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

ATTORNEYS C.BENTHAM. APPARATUS FOR UNLOADING GRAIN. APPLICATION FILEDJUNE 111 I920. 1,407,510.

Patented Feb. 2'], 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

A TTORNEYS entries sraras earner oration.

CECIL BENTHAM, OF IVIANOHESIER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 HENRY SIMONLIE/IITED,

OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND. A CGRPORATION OF GREAT BRITAIN.

AlfPARATUS FOR UNLOADING- GRAIN.

Application filed June 11,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CECIL BnN'rrmM, a subject of the King of England,residing at Manchester, England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in iipparatus for Unloading Grain, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to devices for handling granular material and hasparticular reference to that class of devices known as grain unloadingor conveying apparatus.

- The primary object of my invention is to provide device of the abovementioned character so constructed that it may be conveniently placedbetween railway cars positioned at opposite sides thereof, and so operated as to enable the conduit leading from one car into the receiverto be readily re moved therefrom and projected or extended into theother railway car located at the opposite side of the apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide in a device of theabove mentioned cl1aracter a means whereby the conduit leading into thereceiver thereof'may be effectively supported or braced in any of thevarious posit-ions adapted to be assumed thereby.

()ther objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is an elevation showing the construction of my device. Thedotted lines indicate the position of the apparatus'when not in use. Themethod in which the apparatus may be used to unload cars on the oppositetrack is also indicated by dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a plan view of my device with parts of two cars. The carsare shown in staggered relation indicating that it is not necessary thatthey be exactly located over the discharging bin.

Figure 3 shows the split clip for supporting the flexible suction pipewhen not in use.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, a circulartrack 1 is supported by four up-rights 2, which may be made of angleiron or any suitable material. A receiving tank or cylinder 3 is adaptedto rotate 011 the track 1 by means of roller bearings 4. The receiver 3is rotated by means of a crank 5, gears 6, shaft 7, gear 8 and rack 9 toenable a suction pipe 10 to be pushed into a car 16 over the grain door17 after the car Specification of Letters Patent.

ffatented Feb. 21, 1222.

1920. Serial no. 388,218.

has been brought into a position near a receiving bin 24. The suctionpipe 10, which is of metal, is connected to the cylindrical receiver 3through an air-tight swivel joint 11 and elbow 12. in order to afford arigid construction, the pipe 10 is supported by a bracket secured to thereceiver 3. A flexible suction pipe 14 is attached to the metal pipe 10,and is provided'with a nozzle 15. An exhauster 18, which may be drivenby a motor, as shown, or any other convenient means, is supported on thefloor 19 just above the cylinder 3 and is connected thereto by means ofan air-tight swivel joint not shown. A dust separator 20 removes thedust from the exhaust air and returns it to the grain through a pipe 21so that there will be no loss in original weight. A rotary valve 22,which is motor driven and rotates with the receiver allows the grain toescape from the receiving cylinder 3 through a chute 23 into thereceiving bin 24. The chute 23 is provided with a telescopic section 25to enable it to be with drawn from the bin '24 when the cylindricalreceiver 3 is turned. The chute 23 is secured to the body of the valve22 by means-of a joint 26 which may be swiveled if desired. A jib 27,which is secured to the receiver 3 by a swivel connection 28, supportsthe flexible pipe 14 by means of a split spring pressed clip 29 when thepipe 10 and the flexible pipe 14 are removed from the car a'ndout ofoperative position. The split clip 29 is provided with rollers 30. Thejib 27 is provided with a roller 31 which rotates about the tank 3 whenthe jib is moved. It is ob vious by this arrangement that the jib 27 maybe'rotated with the receiving cylinder 3, or may be rotated in adirection opposite to that of the receiving cylinder 3, in order tosupport the pipe 14 about the circumference of the tank 3 when thedevice is notin use.

The operation of my device is as follows:

A car is brought to a position approximately over the receiving bin 24since my invention makes it unnecessary to spot the cars as in thepresent practice. At that time the pipe 10 is in the retracted positionshown by the dotted lines in Figure 2. The receiver 3 is then rotated bymeans of the rack 9, gear 8, shaft 7 gears 6 and crank 5 so as to enablethe pipe 10 to be inserted in the car over the grain door 17. This alsobrings the discharge chute 23 over the receiving bin 24. The connec tionbetween the pipe and the bin is erfectedby the telescoping member 25.The exhauster 18 is then started; the grain is drawn through the nozzle15, flexible pipe 14:, metal pipe 10, elbow l2, and falls into thehopper of the cylinder 3, and is discharged through the valve 22, whichmay be a rotary valve driven by a motor as indicated, through the chute23 with the telescopic section 25' into the receiving bin 24%. The dust,which is drawn in with the grain through the pipe 10, is separated fromthe exhaust air by means of the separator 20; falls through the pipe 21and is returned to the grain through the rotary valve 22. The exhaustedair escapes through the pipe 32 at the top of the device.

By means of my invention cars can be emptied quickly and economically.All necessity of spotting cars is removed. The

apparatus can be utilized for unloading cars 011 both sides as indicatedby the dotted lines. It is not necessary that the exhauster should besupported on a floor above the cylinder 3. The exhauster and motor maybe secured to the top of the receiving cylinder 3, in which event, theelectrical connections would be flexible. It is also apparent that mydevice :could be mounted upon wheels adapted to be moved on a third setof tracks between the cars so that the unloading device could be movedfrom car to car and bin to bin without the necessity of moving the cars;

It is obvious that various modificationsmay be made in the constructionshown in the drawings and above particularly described within theprinciple and scope: of

my invention. 1 a

I claim:

1. A device for handling granular material, comprising a rotatablereceiver, means for rotating said receiver about a vertical axis, atubular member rigidly connected to the side of said receiver andcommunicating therewith, a conduit pivotally connected to said tubularmember and adapted to he swung about its pivotal connection to and froman extended position with respect to said tubular member, and means forrelieving pressure within said receiver whereby the material to behandled is drawn into aid receiver through said conduit and tubularmember.

2. A device for handling granular material, comprising a rotatablereceiver, means for rotating said receiver about a vertical axis, atubular member rigidly connected to the side of said receiver andcommunicating therewith, a conduit pivotally connected to said tubularmember and adapted to be swung about its pivotal connection to and froman extended position'with respect to said tubular member, meansassociated with said receiver but adapted to be moved with respectthereto forsupporting said conduit in various positions adapted to beassumed thereby with respect to said tubular member, and means forrelieving pressure with in said receiver whereby the material to behandled is drawn into said receiver through said conduit andftubularmember.

3. A device for handling granular material, comprising a rotatablereceiver having a vertical axis, means for rotating said receiver, atubularmember rigidly connected to the side of said receiver andcommunicat ing therewith, a conduit pivotally connected to said tubularmember and adapted'to be swung about its pivotal connection to and froman extended position with respect to said tubular member, a tracksecured to said receiver, a jib supported by said trackand adapted totraver'sethe same, means connecting said conduit with'said jib forsupporting the conduit in the various positions adapted to be assumed byit with respect to said tubular member, and means for relieving pressurewithin said receiver whereby the material to be handled is drawn intosaid receiver through said conduit and tubular member.

In testimony whereof, I haveatlixed my signature to this specification.

CECIL BENTHAM.'

